Cousins Caused Arizona Wildfire

Two cousins have been charged with starting a wildfire back in May that originated in Arizona and spread to New Mexico.

Caleb Joshua Malboeuf, 26, of Benson, Arizona and David Wayne Malboeuf, 24, of Tucson, Arizona were each charged with causing timber to burn, leaving a fire unattended and unextinguished, leaving a fire without completely extinguishing it, causing and failing to maintain control of a fire, and building a campfire without removing all flammable material from around the campfire adequate to prevent its escape, the Web site KTAR.com reported.

The fire started on May 29 in the Apache and Sitgreaves national forests in eastern Arizona and spread west to New Mexico.

The cousins told the U.S. Forest Service they were experienced campers and had not intended to start a fire, KTAR.com reported.

The fire cost more than $79 million to put out and burned through more than 538,000 acres in Arizona and parts of Western New Mexico before it was contained, the Arizona Daily Star reported.

On Wednesday, the Web site for the forests still had photos of the fire and aftermath.

This devastating fire destroyed pristine national forest, scenic wilderness and numerous nearby homes and cabins, U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke said in a statement. Its cost for future generations goes well beyond the resources used to fight it.

The cousins are scheduled to appear in federal court on Sept. 19. in Flagstaff, Arizona.